Ventilator



Aug. 9,1932. S.'M. DICKSON I I VENTILATOR Filed May 1, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 9, 1932.

s. DICKSON vnumpmoa 2 Shets-Sheet 2 Filed May 1, 1930 INZENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 9, 1932 PATENT; oF ICE SIDNEY M. DICKSON, F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA VENTILATOR Application filed May 1, 1930. Serial No. 448,828.

This invention relates to building ventilators and more in particular to ventilators with louvers.

One of the primary objects of this invention is to provide a ventilator having adj ustable louvers which may be opened more or less to suit, and which will maintain their position under normal operating conditions.

Another object is to provide a ventilator hav- 1 ing louvers which will automatically close in case of fire causing an undue increase of temperature within the structure in which applied, thus preventing any fire promoting 7 air drafts. A further objectis to provide a self-contained louvered ventilator which may be built directly into a wall, without requiring additional lintels and sill'members. Yet another object is to provide in such a ventilator simple and durable means for hingedly mounting the louvers without using exposedv bolts, screws'or the like holding means.

Additional features and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a. part of this application, and in which Fig. 1 is an isometric view of the louvered ventilator, as seen from the outside.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken in a plane 39 along line 2-3 in Fig.1, showing all louvers in open position.

Fig. 3 is a similar view, but with the louvers in closed position.

Fig. at represents a section taken in a plane along line 41 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 shows a section taken longitudinally in a plane along line 5-5, also in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is an inside elevation of one of the louver-leaves provided with a mechanism for holding the louvers in the adjusted open position, and for automatically closing the ventilator in case of fire.

Fig. 7 is a section taken along line 77,

Figs. 11 and 12 show respectively a plan view and a side elevation of a fusible link used inconnection with the ventilator.

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of another type of journal bushing, also used in the ventilator.

Reference being had to the drawings, a ventilator built according to this invention consists'of a frame-structure comprisingthe two jambs 1, for channel-shaped cross-section, the lintel 2 and the sill 3 made of any desired sheet metal and preferably built as a unit by welding these parts together, prior to installing the louvers.

The jambs are provided outwardly with close fitting channel-shaped covers 1, thus producing hollow, rectangular shaped, members in which some of the mechanism is fully or partly enclosed. These covers serve also 5 the purpose of preventing the supporting shafts of the louvers from shifting out of place. I The lintel is also of channel-shaped crosssection, open at the top and having inwardly directed stiffening ribs 5. Its strength is suflicient to support the weight of the wall bearing upon it, without requiring special lintels in the construction of the wall. 7

The sill 3 consists of the outer and inner side walls 6 and 7 having at their lower ends the inwardly turned ribs 8. The top of the sill comprises two stepped off portions 9, 10 connected together by a substantially vertical riser 11. The lower portion 9 slopes towards the outside to drain ofi any rain water which may fall on it, and the riser forms a stop for the entrance of said water into the building, when the louvers are partly or fully closed. I i

The number of louver-leaves used in the ventilator depends, of course, on the size of the latter. In the drawings but three leaves are shown. The two lower leaves 12 and 13 are identical, while the upper leaf 1 1 is slightly modified in that it is'provided throughout its length with an angularly'disposed blade 15, the purpose of which is to form a seal against air-drafts and rain, when the ventilator is closed, as shown in Fig. '3.

One of the special features of this'invenmain portion 16 terminating at its lower end with an angularly disposed sealing edge 17 and having atthe top a channel-shaped head 18 removably fitting about a rectangular supporting rod, or shaft, 19, which latter is made of sufficiently large cross-section to prevent sagging of the louveri leaires in 'casez'ofi intense heat. As will be understood, different cross-sections for the shafts-and louver-heads may be used, the main object of using angular cross-sections being to ef-" feet the rotation of the louverleaves..with their shafts without. havin g to rely on frictional engagement ior on the use-.of holding bolts, rivets, pins, and so forth.

Each shaft is rockably mountedin one of the jambs by means of a plain bushing 20, and in the other jamb by means of the lever-bush ing 21 havingalever or arm 22, the purpose of which is described herebelow. Aside from this structural difference, both types of bushingsare alike, andeach comprises a cylindrical journal pertion 23 and an integral inner flange 24, both having acentral aperture 25, of suitable shape and size to'receive one end of its corresponding shaft 19. Dispose'dparallel to one of the sides of the aperture and at. adistance thereof slightly greater than the thickness of the louver-leaf, is an inwardly directed lug 26 the purpose of which is tohold the louver-leaf in place on-its shaft, after the parts are properly assembled; The-journals 23 are freely mounted for rotation in cincular apertures, or bearings, 27- cut in the jainbs, as suggested inFig, 10. The purpose of the flanges 24 is to form end-stopsfor the louverleaves and keep the latter from rubbing against the inner walls of the. jamhs. I y

The various louver leaves are arrangedifor simultaneous andequal operationlby securing at one s end of; a louver-shaft an operating lever '28 and by connecting, all the ipa-rallelly disposed arms 22 of the lever-bushings -21 to a common connecting-rod 29, by means-of any. suitable hingerconnection', isuch as, forin. v stance, the bolt-connection 30. I

As shown in..Figi.5, imparticular, these journals, arms-and the connecting rod are en-. closed for the greater part within the hollow jambs, thus affording greater protection. against 'corrosion and dirt, and alsofacilitating the erection of the assembled ventilatorwithin arwall. v

The operating lever 28v maybe operated, acf cordingtothe location of the-ventilator, in any desired and suitable manner. In the illustrated-embodiment, there is used an endlesschain-31 running over a pulley 32 mount" ed on'a'jambo-f the frame or-onfa walla; By

7 I properly manipulatingithischaimithe louvers may be adjusted in:any desired positioni;

The louvers are held in the selected position against accidental closing by way of a simple friction device mounted directly on the inside face of one of the louver-leaves. As shown in Fig. 6, friction shoes 33 are rockably mounted on pivots 34 secured adjacent each end of, and, to, the louver-leaf. These shoes are brought toiexert a suitable pressure against the inner walls of the j ambs 1 by means of a spring 35 which is connected to the shoes by .means .ofthe hingedilinks 36, and the tie-rods 37, 38 and 39.

- -tween the last two rods there is inserted a fusible link 40,, of any desired commercial type, the purpose'of which is to relieve the brake-shoes of the tension. of thespring 35, when a predetermined,dangerous, temperature is reached. The fusible linkshownain the drawings comprises two similar flat plates 41, each havingiat one endan aperture .42 en gaged a tie-rod. Theseplates arerheld face to face by means of asolder havinga pre-' determined "melting. point; VVhen-the temperature near the ventilator increasesbeyond said melting point, thesolder willmelt and the plates 41 will separate, thus freeing the brake-shoes of the spring tension and alloW- ing the louver-leavesto drop into closed posi tion,.due to their own weight, as well as that of the levers '22 and their connecting-rod29, etc. If desired, a turn-buckle 43' may be used inone of the tie-rods to regulate the. ten-. sion in the.spring,.35, and consequently the pressure-of the brake-shoes onthe jambs...

It willibe observed from thei drawirigs that when the; louvers are closed, theirsealing edges 17 "will .contact with; the 4 heads :18 I of the next lower louver and with the riser 11 of the. sill, whilelthe extension 15 on the upper louver willseal the space at the top of the ventilator.

Also, .any excessive increase of the'air' pressure within the building,.such as due to explosions, .will' overcome the weight of the louvers and the friction'of the various moving parts ofthe ventilator, and temporarily openazthe louvers, which: will then .act: as a safety valve, thus fpreventingivan'y serious damage to the building'structure and the machinery or other property stored therein; While I have illustrated and described herein. the preferred embodiment of my in: vention, and "one which I have found by actual test to bevery practical, it may bethought; desirable, after continued experience,;to make slight changes in the construc% tion and 'arrangementof the details'iof my invention, and: I intendto include all such variations as fall within the scope of the appended claims..- 1

. I claim:

1. In a ventilator, a frame'structure, aplurality of louvers'; a polygonal supporting shaft for each louver; a polygonalhead'lon each louversaid.headengaging only apart of the contour of said shaft and being removable therefrom in a transverse direction; journal means for rotatably mounting the shafts in said frame structure, and means to simultaneously rotate said louvers.

2. In a ventilator, a frame structure; a plurality of louvers; a polygonal supporting shaft for each louver; a polygonal head on each louver, said'head engaging only a part of the contour of said shaft and being removable therefrom in a transverse direction; journal means for rotatably mounting the shafts in said frame structure; means positioned on the journals to hold the louvers on their respective shafts, and unitary means to simultaneously rotate said louvers.

3. In a ventilator, a frame structure; a plurality of louvers; a quadrilateral supporting shaft for each louver; a head on each louver longitudinally open at one side and engaging three consecutive sides of said shaft and removable therefrom in a transverse direction; journal means for rotatably mounting the shafts in said frame structure; means positioned on said ournals to hold said louvers on their respective shafts; unitary means to simultaneously rotate said louvers spring actuated means positioned on one of the louvers to hold same in selected open position, and heat controlled fusible means in cooperative relation with said holding means to effect the closure of said louvers by gravity.

4. In a ventilator, a frame structure; a plurality of louvers rockably mounted in said frame structure; unitary means to simultaneously operate said louvers, and frame engaging means positioned on one of the louvers to frictionally hold same in selected open position, said holding means comprising friction shoes hingedly mounted on said louver and connecting means normally under tension to hold said shoes in contact relation with said frame structure.

5. In a ventilator, a frame structure; a plurality of louvers rockably mounted in said frame structure; unitary means to simultaneously operate said louvers, and frame engaging means positioned on one of the louvers to frictionally hold same in selected open position; said holding means comprising friction-shoes hingedly mounted on said louver and connecting means normally under tension to hold said louvers in contact relation with said frame structure, and heat controlled fusible means in cooperative relation with said connecting means and adapted to break the contact relation between the friction-shoes and frame structure when subject to a predetermined temperature.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

SIDNEY M. DICKSON. 

